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Minoltaflex (I)
}} See also the Minoltaflex Automat, the Minoltaflex wartime prototype and the postwar Minoltaflex II and III. The Minoltaflex The camera is referred to in advertising as ミノルタフレックス (Minorutafurekkusu), obviously a compound of "Minolta" and "flex". The decision whether to refer to this as "Minoltaflex" or "Minolta Flex" — one word or two — is rather arbitrary. (ミノルタフレックス, later termed the "Minoltaflex I") The name "Minoltaflex I" was introduced after 1945, to distinguish the camera from the postwar Minoltaflex (II), IIB and III. is a 6×6cm TLR (twin lens reflex) camera for 120 film, introduced by Chiyoda Kōgaku (predecessor of Minolta) in late 1937. Description The Minoltaflex is essentially a copy of the Rolleicord. The front plate is moved back and forth for focusing, driven by a knob on the photographer's right. This knob has a chrome finish with a black top, and is graduated from ∞ down to 0.8m; it runs along a black depth-of-field scale showing indications for 3.5, 8 and 16 apertures. The film advance is semi-automatic, driven by a knob placed on the photographer's right, with the same black and chrome finish as the focus knob. The advance knob automatically stops for each exposure, and there is a small round window for a frame counter on the same side, at the top. Two buttons are placed next to the advance knob, certainly to unlock the film advance after each exposure. The L-shaped back is hinged at the top and retained by a latch at the bottom; the serial number is inscribed inside. The two film flanges placed on the photographer's left are pulled out for film loading, and the position of the first exposure is set via a red window placed under the camera and protected by a sliding cover. The viewfinder provides automatic parallax correction via a mask on the ground glass screen, which moves back and forth when the focus knob is turned. The four-fold viewing hood is much inspired by that of the Ikoflex II. It contains a large magnifying lens hinged to the front. The middle part of the hood has the shape of a truncated pyramid and can be pushed back, revealing a built-in sportsfinder. The silver nameplate is simply marked Minolta; two different variations are known to exist, with a straight or slanted typeface. The center of the viewing hood has a logo, reading MTS on the early cameras and TIYOKO on the late ones. The camera has a Promar 75mm f/3.5 four-element taking lens, made by Asahi Kōgaku (predecessor of Pentax), the same lens as on the Auto Semi Minolta; the marking on the rim is Promar Anastigmat Nippon or Promar Nippon. The viewing lens is a 75mm f/3.2, marked Minolta Anastigmat Nippon or Minolta Nippon. Both lenses take 28.5mm diameter push-on accessories. The shutter is either an imported Compur (T, B, 1–300) or a Crown II (T, B, 1–300 or B, 1–300) made by Chiyoda itself. It is turned 90 degrees: the speed scale is to the left and the aperture scale is to the right (as seen from the front). On the Compur shutter, the name Compur is inscribed at the bottom and [Deckel's FD logo is at the top. The Crown shutter has the name CROWNⅡ–TIYOKO inscribed on a small plate screwed to the left, and three metal stripes above and below the lens. The main release lever is on the photographer's right; once tripped, it only comes back to its initial position when the advance knob is turned, thus preventing unwanted double exposures. Sequence described in Teruaki, p.133 of no.4. The cocking lever is at the bottom of the shutter housing; it also acts as a secondary release lever, notably used for voluntary double exposures. Introduction and commercial life The Minoltaflex was developed from 1936 by the Molta company (which became Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō in September 1937); it is said that the first prototypes were completed in July 1936. Fifty-year history Minolta 50-nen no ayumi, p.5. The camera was released in late 1937: it was featured and advertised in Japanese magazines dated December 1937, , p.342. and it was displayed at the show organized the same month in the Tōkyō Kaikan by Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō and Asanuma Shōkai to celebrate new commercial agreements. Tashima Gizō, interviewed by Saeki Kakugorō on p.77 of no.12, says November 1937, but Awano, p.7 of the same magazine, specifies that the show was inaugurated on December 12, 1937. Early advertisements show the camera with a Compur shutter and the Minolta name in a straight typeface. Advertisement in December 1937 reproduced in , p.98; advertisement in January 1938 reproduced in Tanimura, p.15 of no.118; advertisement in Asahi Graph March 1938 reproduced in the Gochamaze website. The advertisement in December 1937, gives no price and presents the camera as "available soon" (近日発売); Advertisement reproduced in , p.98. the price of was announced in the advertisement published the next month in . Advertisement reproduced in Tanimura, p.15 of no.118. It is said that the version with Crown II shutter was first advertised in September 1938. , p.342. In the February 1940 advertisement in , the pictured camera has the Crown shutter and slanted typeface, and still has the MTS logo on the viewing hood; the price is given as . Advertisement reproduced in , p.98. In the official list of set prices published in January 1941, the Minoltaflex is mentioned for ¥252, a unique price set for all the 6×6 TLR models. , type 7, section 1. The price was gradually raised throughout the period, and it appears as in the October 1941 catalogue by Asanuma Shōkai reproduced here. The Minoltaflex is mentioned in the April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production, , item 120. In this document, "Ref" is used instead of "Flex" to name the TLR models, and the name is therefore given as "Minolta Ref" (ミノルタレフ) instead of "Minoltaflex". and the last reported advertisement is dated September 1943; The advertisement in Shashin Bunka September 1943 is the last one listed in , p.342. the production was probably stopped around that time. Variations on actual examples The early version with the Minolta name in straight typeface seems very rare. One example is known with the Compur shutter; its body number is 3186, and both lens numbers are in the 32xx range. Data reported from a private collection. Another camera is known with the straight typeface and a Crown shutter, again with four-digit lens numbers. Example pictured in Francesch, p.86. All the other cameras have the slanted typeface for the Minolta name. None of these has been observed with a Compur shutter. The import of German shutters certainly stopped in 1937, after the outbreak of war with China, and the stock of Compur shutters perhaps ran out before the switch to the newer nameplate. The early examples with slanted typeface have a Crown shutter with a T setting, and have four-digit lens numbers (up to the 92xx range). Example pictured in this page of Shintake Shashinkan, example pictured in the 70th anniversary Minolta poster, example pictured in , p.13, and example observed in an online auction. All the other known examples have a Crown shutter with no T setting. One isolated example has taking lens no.801x1 and viewing lens no.80862; these numbers might correspond to a small batch of lenses produced immediately after the drop of the four-digit sequence. Example pictured in this page at Neco's collection. After that, the numbering of the viewing lens was certainly reset at c.10000; for the taking lens, two isolated numbers are known in the 83xxx and 84xxx range, then the sequence jumped to c.89000. The bulk of the observed surviving cameras have body numbers between 8848 and 24073, taking lens numbers between 89913 and 111489, and viewing lens numbers between 10775 and 27516. The three numbering sequences were shared with the Minoltaflex Automat. The MTS logo present on all the early examples was replaced by the TIYOKO logo around body no.17000. The lens markings were later switched from Promar Anastigmat Nippon to Promar Nippon (around taking lens no.106000) and from Minolta Anastigmat Nippon to Minolta Nippon (around viewing lens no.23000). Accessories The October 1941 catalogue of Asanuma Shōkai reproduced above shows the following list of accessories: * ever-ready case, ¥14.16; * filter holder with square hood, for 30mm diameter filters, ¥1.90; * hood, ¥6; * filter, Y0, Y1, Y2, Y3, G1, G2, G3, O1, O2, R1, R2, ¥5 each; * close-up lens set, 40in to 20in or 20in to 13in, ¥22 each; * leather focusing hood, ¥1.20. Production The Minoltaflex was made in the Amagasaki (尼崎) plant (which produced the bakelite and TLR models) at a rate of about 300–350 units per month. Mukogawa plant: Awano, p.7 of no.12. Monthly production: Tashima Gizō, interviewed by Saeki Kakugorō on p.78 of no.12. It is difficult to give a precise estimate of the total production, because the numbering sequence was common to the Minoltaflex and Minoltaflex Automat. From the known serial numbers, it seems certain that less than 25,000 were made of these two models; for the original Minoltaflex alone, we can attempt a rough estimate of 12,000 to 15,000 units, which is consistent with the monthly rate told above. Notes Bibliography * Item 279. (See also on pp.13 and 439.) * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Minoruta ryakushi" (ミノルタ略史, Minolta short history). Pp.6–8. * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Senzen no Minoruta kamera" (戦前のミノルタカメラ, Prewar Minolta cameras). Pp.13–7. * Pp.38 and 42. * "Minoruta nigan-refu no yūwaku" (ミノルタ二眼レフの誘惑", Seduction of Minolta TLR cameras). Pp.135–6. * Pp.24–5 and 86–7. * Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Kōkoku ni miru Minoruta kamera no rekishi" (広告に見るミノルタカメラの歴史, "Minolta camera history seen through the advertisements"). Pp.9–12. * Hayashi Teruaki (林輝昭). "Wagakuni ni-gan-refu no sutandādo Minorutafurekkusu" (わが国二眼レフのスタンダードミノルタフレックス, The Minoltaflex, our country's standard TLR). Pp.133–5. * * Item 120. * Type 7, section 1. * Pp.39 and 54. * P.681. * Minolta Camera. Minolta 50-nen no ayumi (Minolta・50年のあゆみ, Minolta 50-year history). November 1978. Pp.5–6 and 65. * Saeki Kakugorō (佐伯恪五郎). "Tashima Gizō-shi ni kiku" (田嶋義三氏に聞く, "Asking Tashima Gizō"). Pp.76–9. * Pp.22–3. * no.77 (September 1958). "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō" (変遷カメラ一らん表, Table of camera evolution.) P.295. (This is a chronology of Minolta cameras from the Nifcarette onwards. This document is also reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of no.116.) * Item 2013. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Minolta Camera: nigan-refu kamera" (Minolta Camera: 二眼レフカメラ, Minolta TLR cameras). Pp.25–30. * Taniguchi Masao (谷口匡男), from the commercial department (営業部) of Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō. "Minoruta kamera no sakujitsu, konnichi" (ミノルタ・カメラの昨日、今日, Minolta cameras, yesterday and today). In no.77 (September 1958). Pp.275–9. (The two first pages of this document, on pre-1937 cameras, are also reproduced in Tanimura, p.8 of no.116.) * Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In no.116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of the articles in no.77 and no other information on the Minoltaflex.) * Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata (sono 2)." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型(その2), "Semi Minolta I and II (part 2)") In no.118 (April 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of an advertisement showing the Auto Minolta, and no other information on the Minoltaflex.) * Watakushi no ni-gan-refu kamera-ten (私の二眼レフカメラ展, Exhibition of twin lens reflex cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P.19. Links In English: * Minoltaflex (I) in the 70th anniversary Minolta poster, reproduced at Photoclub Alpha * Minolta TLR cameras at TLR Cameras * Minolta TLR cameras at Minman In Japanese: * Minoltaflex (I) at TLR milestone * Minoltaflex (I) at Neco's camera collection, with more pictures here and here * Minoltaflex (I) among Minolta TLR cameras at Asacame * Minoltaflex (I) in the classic camera section of Shintake Shashinkan * Minoltaflex (I) at www.syakazuka.com * Minoltaflex (I) in the website of the Saji Observatory * Minoltaflex (I) in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * Advertisement for the Minolta range showing the Minoltaflex, published in the 23 March 1938 issue of Asahi Graph and reproduced in the Japanese camera page and the camera company page of the Gochamaze website * Advertisement for the Minoltaflex published in the May 1940 issue of , reproduced in this page of the Heiki Seikatsu website. It is the fifth advertisement from the top. Category: Japanese 6x6 TLR Category: Minolta Category: M Category: 1937